RESIDENTS living near chemical plants are being invited to a meeting attended by some of the world's leading activists on pollution.

Hartlepool Friends of the Earth and Impact has organised the meeting to take place in Redcar tomorrow to raise awareness about the growth of local industry.

Speakers from across the globe will talk about their fights to clean up the air in neighbourhoods overshadowed by heavy industry.

Among them will be Margie Richards who, in 2004, became the first African-American to win the Goldman Environmental Prize. She grew up in Louisiana in a house just 25ft away from a Shell Chemicals facility, and after a battle with Shell over health problems in the community, Shell agreed to relocate residents and reduce pollution.

Iris Ryder, of Hartlepool Friends of the Earth, said: "Local communities worldwide are suffering both physically and environmentally in the quest by chemical companies to generate even more profits. This has obvious implications for us here in Hartlepool."

David Binns, of environmental group Impact, said: "This is a great opportunity for people of Teesside to understand that small communities can influence decisions affecting their lives."

The meeting will take place at O'Grady's Hotel in Redcar at 7.30pm tomorrow.

Other speakers include Desmond D' Sa, who has addressed Parliament on the impact of Shell in South Africa.